The average height of the Missouri volleyball team is about 5 feet, 11 inches.

Senior libero Priscilla ’Pip’ Armendariz stands eight inches below that.

Armendariz isn’t known for her kill numbers or vertical, boasting only two collegiate career kills in her previous three seasons as a Tiger. But she’s a valuable asset.

“I might not be a point-scoring person on the court, but I still have a major role being a senior off the court, socially and academically,” Armendariz said.

As one of only two seniors this season, she is focusing on replacing graduated libero Caitlyn Vann.

“I definitely have a big role to fill behind Caitlyn,” Armendariz said. “She was an awesome libero. I’m just going to do my best to try to fill her shoes.”

Armendariz has dug up 92 balls already this season, averaging 3.68 digs per set going into tournament play this weekend.

Coach Wayne Kreklow said he feels comfortable having a senior operating the back row given all of the young talent on the team this season.

“I think it helps to a great extent to solidify things for us in the back row,“ Kreklow said. “With the great number of young kids we have, having that one person back there really helps.”

With seven new faces to the team for this season, the Tigers must rely on the few upperclassmen to take the reins on the court.

“The people that we have are so skilled and so talented,” Armendariz said. “I think a lot of them are adapting very well. It’s fun to go out there and lead them.”

Armendariz works with fellow senior middle blocker Brittany Brimmage to help the younger contenders adjust to the collegiate level.

“It’s kind of tough at times because you have so many young people and so many different things you have to control, but Brittany is a great help,“ she said. “She is a great leader and she takes control of a lot of situations so it’s good to know that we can be the models of this team.”

Any fan attending a match this season will likely see Brimmage pumping up the Tigers in a mid-court huddle before play begins, but Kreklow said he sees Armendariz leading in a different way.

“She’s not much of a talker,” Kreklow said. “She does more by example. She works hard on the court. She’s not what I would call flashy, but what she does a really good job of is doing simple things consistently.

Armendariz’s passing skills have made her a valuable asset.

“In that position, passing is the number one thing, and that is something she is doing consistently better than anyone else on the team which is a big help,” Kreklow said.

Manning the back row might be an unfamiliar role, but Armendariz said she is ready to look the challenge in the eye.

“As libero, you’re kind of in charge of that back row,” she said. “Everything is your ball. You have to be aggressive on everything.”

Another goal for Armendariz is to continue her success academically. She has made the first team Big 12 All-Academic team the past two seasons.

“School is really high on my list and Mizzou is a great program,” she said. “It’s tough for me to miss all of these classes when we’re traveling. It’s really stressful but school is always a big priority.”

As for other priorities, Armendariz is keeping team perspectives in mind as well.

“Right now, I’m trying to fill (Vann)‘s shoes and lead this team back to the NCAA tournament,” she said.

Armendariz and the Tigers will compete in the Pioneer Classic this weekend in Denver.